DC Recognized as Bright Spot on National Education Recovery Scorecard
The latest update of the Education Recovery Scorecard, which tracks academic progress in school districts across the country, has identified DC as a state and DC Public Schools (DCPS) as standouts making significant strides in student achievement and pandemic recovery. The scorecard, which utilizes a rigorous methodology to measure changes in test scores from 2019 to 2024, found that DC students demonstrated impressive gains from 2022 to 2024 that outpaced every other state nationwide. According to the national study’s press release: “The District of Columbia ranked 1st among states in terms of recovery in math between 2022-2024 and 1st in reading between 2022 and 2024.”
Additionally, students in DCPS grades 3-8 improved their standing compared to national pre-pandemic averages by the equivalent of +0.74 grade levels in math and +0.26 grade levels in reading over the last two years. Meanwhile, nationally, math achievement improved just +0.11 grade levels in math and further declined -0.19 grade levels in reading since 2022. The average student nationwide is a half year behind students in the same grade pre-pandemic.
Read the Associated Press article that highlights DC’s progress.
What is the Education Recovery Scorecard, its methodology, and key findings?
The Education Recovery Scorecard is a joint initiative of researchers at Dartmouth, Harvard, and Stanford that employs complex statistical methodologies to measure changes in student test scores in grades 3-8 between 2019 and 2024 to assess the impact of the pandemic and the extent of recovery. To enable comparisons across states and years, even when states use different tests and proficiency thresholds, the Scorecard equates state level test scores to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). This allows researchers to estimate average scores on a common scale.
Change in average math scores in grade level equivalents between 2022 and 2024 by school district
The Scorecard provides detailed data at the school district level, and for student subgroups by race/ethnicity and economic status where available, enabling analysis of how impacts and recovery have varied across different types of communities and student populations. However, economically disadvantaged students’ progress in DC cannot be reported because the state changed its definition on the NAEP between 2022 and 2024. A feature of the Scorecard is measuring score changes in terms of grade levels to quantify the magnitude of learning loss and gains in an accessible way. Here are the study’s key findings in the 2024 update:
As of Spring 2024, the average U.S. student remained nearly half a grade level behind pre-pandemic achievement in both math and reading. Students are now further behind in reading than they were in 2022.
The highest income decile districts are nearly 4 times more likely to have recovered in both math and reading than the lowest income decile districts
Socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in math achievement have grown since the start of the pandemic both within districts and across districts.
The federal relief dollars aided the recovery in higher poverty districts (where achievement in both math and reading was boosted by 10 percent of a grade equivalent.)
A widespread rise in absenteeism is slowing the recovery, especially in high poverty districts.
DC Students’ Performance on the Education Recovery Scorecard
How has DC accomplished these academic gains?
As highlighted in a DCPS case study on the Scorecard’s website, there are several key strategies that have contributed to DC's success. A quick way to summarize is to say that there are no shortcuts to success, and this level of impact requires well-designed strategies that address the whole child and maximize productive instructional time received.
Significant investments in high-impact tutoring and expanded literacy programs, backed by nearly $40 million in funding. Over 7,600 students received individualized tutoring support with design and implementation support at DCPS central office and through CityTutor’s accelerator programming.
Extensive professional development for teachers in evidence-based literacy instruction, including the LETRS program and professional development through the DC Reading Clinic. More than 650 teachers have completed science of reading training.
A unique, DCPS-developed elementary literacy curriculum that leverages decodable texts representing DC's diversity. The curriculum follows a structured literacy approach and utilizes a robust Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS).
Beyond academic initiatives, DCPS has made student wellbeing and belonging a priority through its innovative "Becoming" program. This transformative effort integrates whole-child practices across all grade levels, aiming for 85% of students to feel a strong sense of belonging in school. Key elements include a framework and tools for supportive learning environments, staff capacity building in trauma-informed practices, and frequent student belonging surveys to inform planning. In sixth grade academies, educators put together programs that help rising first-time middle schoolers get to know their environment and feel a sense of belonging. On the First Friday of the school year, students complete a short version of the Panorama survey that helps teachers and leaders know which students need additional touchpoints so that they will feel like they belong. Data analyzed by the DCPS team shows Becoming is boosting attendance and reducing suspensions in pilot schools.
When examining school-level practices, many high-performing DCPS and DC public charter schools that EK12 has honored with our annual Bold Performance School award share common attributes that accelerate learning for historically underserved students. One cornerstone is an unwavering culture of high expectations. In these schools, staff deeply believe that all students can achieve academic success, regardless of background. This conviction manifests in exposing every student to grade-level content, using asset-based language, and designing school environments centered around fun, limitless possibilities, and academic rigor.
Data-driven instruction is another pillar of Bold Performance Schools. Teachers regularly analyze student work and assessment data to pinpoint opportunities for reteaching or targeted small group support. Instructional leadership teams backwards map from ambitious performance goals, crafting detailed pacing plans to monitor progress. Data meetings bring together diverse educators, from interventionists to counselors, to ensure each student's needs are met. Importantly, data is approached with a continuous improvement mindset, celebrating productive struggle and learning from failure.
Bold Performance Schools also prioritize building vibrant school communities. Leaders intentionally design inclusive activities, from family engagement events to staff appreciation, to cultivate connectedness. Daily morning meetings and advisories create space for relationship-building. These practices boost attendance and retention while helping students feel safe and supported in their learning.
Students learning math in class at Whittier Elementary School, named DC’s “Boldest School” by EK12 in 2024
What about results for DC public charter schools?
The Education Recovery Scorecard focuses on the performance of traditional public school districts across the country. Independent public charter school LEAs are not represented in the data. However, because the scorecard provides state level estimates for the District of Columbia and district level for DCPS, we can reasonably assume how students in public charter schools performed. In grades 3-8, 53% of students attend DCPS schools and 47% attend public charter schools. On the Scorecard in math, DCPS students demonstrated additional gains of +0.73 grade levels in math between 2022 and 2024, with state results at +0.55. For reading, DCPS (+0.26) and state level (+0.25) gains for all students were similar.
What does DC’s progress mean for the future?
With continued dedication to these proven strategies, DC has the potential to make history. Economically disadvantaged students, who are disproportionately students of color, could not only close long-standing opportunity gaps but surge to outperform national averages. The Scorecard shows that Black students improved +0.65 grade levels since 2022 in math and +0.20 grade levels in reading, while Hispanic students gained additional +0.59 grade levels in math and +0.04 grade levels in reading.
If DC is able to sustain current improvement rates over time and into high school, Black and Brown students from low-income families entering elementary school right now may become the first to graduate high school with SAT scores that exceed the national average, a feat no U.S. jurisdiction has accomplished.
While much work remains, the average DC student is a full grade level behind in math and one-half grade level behind in reading, DC’s and DCPS's recognition on the Education Recovery Scorecard spotlights the city as a national exemplar, demonstrating that unprecedented outcomes are possible for all students when we combine an unshakeable belief in their potential with a holistic set of evidence-based practices. Sustaining this momentum can propel DC's students, especially those from underserved communities, to redefine what excellence looks like in public education.